Controversial tax on yoga classes in WA state

Three Seattle area yoga studios have been asked to pay taxes retroactively going three years back. WA state requires fitness studios to charge state tax on fitness classes, but yoga teachers and studios say that yoga does not necessarily fit the definition of a fitness class. Instead, yoga teachers content that classes are more "educational" in nature. 

http://www.king5.com/business/stories/NW_110108WAB_yoga_KS.16f699d51.html

Yoga studios will need to increase the price of classes to keep up. Some studios won't be able to afford to pay retroactive taxes from 2005, 2006, and 2007. 

What do you think? I'm creating a poll. Let us hear what you have to say. 

Can't afford to eat organic?

Here's a recent article about Whole Foods and people complaining that they can't afford to eat organic:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008340673_organic02.html

Read some of the reader's comments. They are as entertaining as the article. 

While organic has been shown in most cases to be more nutritiously dense for the product, we are also seeing how labeling "organic" does not always show the full story about how your food was made, packaged, and delivered to your store. There are accusations that organic broccoli was made with a special pesticide not listed on the "pesticide free" list, and has some link to cancer. My own mother sent me a Snopes.com investigated email about how baby carrots are soaked in bleach to keep them looking fresh in the bag. And of course, my all-time favorite comes from China and Vietnam -- using formaldehyde with meat to make the spoiled meat appear fresh and ready for a big bowl of noodles!

With summer over, I miss my neighbor tossing greens, squash, and lettuces on my doorstep. His garden is big enough to feed several families, and between his garden of veggies and ours of fruits, we have had an organic food frenzy. Now, we are being told to be vigilant of the places like Whole Foods.  

Yoga at Rainier Health and Fitness

In the Spring, I read an old article in a magazine while waiting in a doctor's office to have a mysterious pain in my hip attended to. The hip pain is pretty much gone now, thanks to the folks at UW Sports Medicine Clinic. But the article changed things for me, and I'm hoping it will change things for some important folks in the South Seattle area. 

Rainier Health and Fitness has a mission: healthy bodies and a safe facility free from gang activity and power salesmanship in an area that doesn't have a fitness facility to the public for 15 miles. Supported and funded in part by a Baptist church, they have a small crew of committed volunteers, a clean facility made up of portable rooms, and fitness machines and childcare that makes their space viable to working women, minorities, and a variety of people in this neighborhood that need a place to work out their bodies or succumb to the wave of obesity and illness that has been sweeping our nation. 

I read about their dreams, their desire to build a permanent fitness gymnasium, and their urgent need for qualified instructors to offer classes to their unique population. After meeting with their outreach coordinator, I contacted my peeps at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lennox, Massachusettes, and applied for their Teaching for Diversity Grants for 2008-2009. 

Kripalu is helping both of our dreams to come true. I get to teach 10 classes in a population that otherwise wouldn't get yoga there because of the lack of funding to bring it there, and Rainier Health and Fitness peeps get 10 weeks of Gentle Kripalu Yoga, a beautiful adjunct to any health and fitness regimin, for all ages and lifestyles. The Board gets an instructor sensitive to their spiritual concerns, and I get to do what I love -- teach people to live healthy for a  lifetime. 

If you are an instructor wishing to teach the most enthusiastic crowd you've ever had, you need to talk to these people. My first class was a dream: people coming a little early to set up, so full we had to turn people away (sorry). Many were brand new to yoga.  They are hiring for a yoga instructor in January 2009. The pay is not the going rate, but it's understandable on the budget; give it time, and it will grow. 

If you are in the South Seattle area, Rainier Health and Fitness is on Rainier Ave. South, just a few blocks south of S. Myrtle Street. Memberships start at just $11 a month (no kidding)! 

Calling local celebrities and activists

Starting October 6, 2008 I'll be teaching a specia 10 week series of Gentle Kripalu Yoga at 

Rainier Health and Fitness (see their website, rainierhealthandfitness.com)

5:30pm - 7 pm  

This class is being offered to RH&F under Kripalu's Teaching for Diversity grant program, so it is essentially free to the neighborhood, with minimal membership for those who choose to join this faith-based gym in south Seattle. 

If you are a local celebrity or activist, I'd like to speak to you about coming to one of our opening classes in October, as part of a program RH&F is doing among their population to reduce weight, reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol, and improve health overall. 

Please contact me via this blog, or offline at imei@dreamyogaanddance.com

Yoga injuries on the rise

It's no surprise to me that yoga injuries in America are on the rise. What is surprising to all of us is the adaptation of a spiritual and healing practice into a multi-billion dollar industry sometimes fronted by individuals with limited training on the fast track for money.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25400799/

Leave it to Americans to zero-in on asana practice (postures) and encourage people to jump into intermediate and advanced level practice. Suddenly, yoga is supposed to be some kind of "workout". 

The reason why I haven't adopted that mind-set is because of my grandparents. They were "barefoot doctors" of Oriental Medicine in Taiwan, in a small village where their brand of medicine was the medicine you would receive if you did not need more invasive or aggressive Western medicine. On analysis of many of the herbs used in their clinic, one could see the effective and active ingredients used to treat heart disease, stomach ailments, headache, nausea, fatigue, and infertility. But the main element of almost every treatment was a combination of time and gentle progression: you didn't introduce anything quickly, and you waited for the treatment to take effect. 

When advanced practitioners of yoga become injured, I have to ask:

1. How many hours do you practice?

2. Do you use proper alignment?

3. Do you respect and honor your limits?

An injury usually comes from a violation of at least one, if not all, of these questions. The way typical gym-based yoga classes run, rooms are full of people so the teacher can't watch every person all the time. The teachers and practitioners may be doing an aggressive yoga routine too often. You can sometimes see people doing things that will hurt later. And worst of all, sometimes a teacher does not respect the limits of students, and barks out orders to try to get them to push harder. Result: pulled hamstrings, sore shoulders, tightened hips, tender or painful wrists... and like the article says, in rare cases stroke and emergency room visits. 

Ways you ensure a safe class, whether you are a beginner or an experienced practitioners:

1. Listen to your body's wisdom. If something doesn't feel good, use your breath, release the posture, and come into a rest pose before trying again, if at all, during a session of posture practice. 

2. Pick a class with a low teacher-student ratio, and select a teacher who either has a minimum 200 hour certification, or has been practicing for many years with a good track record. Don't assume your gym has certified yoga instructors. There are programs that take people who have had only a weekend training. 

3. Remember that there are many styles of yoga, and yoga asana (postures) are only one aspect of yoga as a health practice. Pick the one that works with your body, and know that your body changes, so the practice should change with it. 

4. If you have a specific injury or challenge, notify the teacher and ask for modifications. 

Just like most other spiritual, physical, and mental disciplines for health, yoga was never meant to be over done. The goal of yoga is the release of prana in service to a spiritual connection, not getting a yoga butt (I tease about this sarcastically in my classes) or holding the longest headstand. With time and practice, you might achieve those things anyways. But with wise and common-sense practice, yoga practice doesn't have to translate into an unexpected visit to the doctor.

What came first, the chicken or the Seattle law allowing you to raise chickens?

My question has been answered. Several years ago, I had a child client who said her family had chickens as pets and egg-layers, and I wondered why more people didn't have chickens. Turns out, for every 5000 square feet of space, you can have three chickens, and one more chicken for every additional 1000 square feet of space. 

Would this inspire you to raise chickens?

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1509319618/bctid1655720797

Beautiful Lightning Storm for Seattle

I watched this around 9:30 pm, with the lights out, and ended up sleeping like a baby when the rains came.

phones phones phones!

Because my man works in the cell phone industry, I get a lot of questions about cell phones. I try to be gracious. I don't work in the cell phone industry: he does. People ask me anyway. I wonder if unconsciously, we think that married couples have some ingenious method of absorbing the knowledge and experience of the other, through some kind of nifty proximity osmosis. 

But if you are looking to upgrade your phone, now there are some toys that really take the word function seriously. Check out this link

http://www.mobiletechreview.com/smartphone.htm

While there are women screaming that the iPhone might have a misogynous design because their long fingernails don't allow for finger contact with the stylus-free screen, I think the iPhone is the superior product. And yes, I did get to see a version of the MS Smartphone that has yet to be released. The funny thing is, it looked like a bunch of people simply looked at Apple products and ripped off every good idea they could. 

So, why don't I have an iPhone? Well, because iPhone isn't a part of the product family with the company of my man, and I get my phones from him. Instead, we decided to buy a decent camcorder with a built in hard drive. I'm just not one of those people that have to have "the" toy of the year, though I can appreciate their design and function. 

Same reason why I switched to the MacBook this year, after years of being a Windows PC user. Habit. Addiction. We get used to things, and then don't want to go through the pain of switching to something less familiar. Every time I change phones -- yes, even from one Blackberry to another, something goes wrong. Lost data, lost phone numbers, missing functions. 

Wisdom tells me that even with technology, we cannot escape pain and suffering. Buck up. Get that phone. Figure it out. And then, give me a call. But don't leave your phone around. At $299, $399, and later $699 for a contract free version that is coming soon, these phones are the target of little thieves to the level that Hello Kitty toys were stolen out of the back windows of Honda Civic's in the 1990's. 

The Wireless Yogini: New law -- hands free cell phone use during driving

The Wireless Yogini: New law -- hands free cell phone use during driving

www.cardosystems.com/pop

New law -- hands free cell phone use during driving

Starting next Tuesday, it will be illegal (secondary offense) to use your cell phone while driving if you don't use a headset or hands-free device in the State of Washington.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008018039_cellphone26m.html

Before you start complaining about infringement of your rights, consider a study done recently, comparing cellphone use while driving to drinking and driving at the limit of 0.08. The study found that 40 adults tested showed the same amount of impairment for drinking as for using a cell phone. Hands free or not, talking on a cell phone is a distraction, and delays your reactions on the road. Those tested, by the way, got to drink shots of vodka and orange juice. I wonder if they got paid. 

I know lots of people who use their commute time to conduct business, catch up with family and friends, and pass the time. Until February 2007, I was one of them. The long commute several times a week between West Seattle and Everett seemed an instant solution to catching up on missed calls and keeping in touch. I always used a headset or Jabber so both hands could be on the wheel for the kind of defensive driving we have to do on Seattle highways. But when I put my commute to rest by relocating my business to my home, the headset collects dust most of the time. Instead, I'm walking around my house on speakerfone. 

But before I started using a headset, I was singing show tunes. I kid you not. How else am I "nightclubsinger" on Ebay? I memorized over 500 tunes, including all the words to Lily Allen's "Smile" album, a few songs in other languages (I have no clue what I'm singing), and the standards of Billy Holiday and Frank Sinatra. For a good movie with a singing scene to die for, Netflix "P.S. I love You" starring Hillary Swank, belting out a real tear-jerker. 

Maybe it's time for us to return to pre-tech ideas for the commute. Please submit your safe idea for the world to see. For all, I hope you'll consider limiting your cell phone use - even hands-free use -- in favor of making the roads safe for all. 

BTW, my man informed me about the commercial with the four cell phones and popcorn popping because the calls emitting radio frequency. He said it was completely fabricated, of course, but T-mobile received calls from concerned people after viewing this commercial without explanation on YouTube.com. My feeling: people really need to stop believing what they see. In the data manipulation and image processing age, nothing is for real. And BTW, if you're still unconvinced and feel you are nuking your head, why not use a wired earpiece? 

Taxpayer money for bottled water? No more.

Our nation's mayors signed a bill to stop using taxpayer money for bottled water, and instead have settled for tap water in an effort to decrease their impact on the environment. 

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008013930_water24m.html

Most of us could go one step farther by remembering to bring a covered plastic mug to meetings, conferences, etc., and use the water fountain or water pitchers provided. We can reduce that mountain of plastic water bottles one can imagine is produced daily simply because of convenience. Of course, now we have to watch out for BCP's in the plastic. REI is now selling a BCP-free Nalgene style water bottle. And everyone should take care to never put hot liquids in thin plastic containers, as the plastic elements melt into your food and drink. That's just common sense. Same with microwaveable containers. Better to place your food on a microwave-safe dish. If there is a lot of food and you don't want a mess, cover the top with a large dish or bowl -- no need to use another piece of plastic. 

Interestingly enough, bottled water became popular when the soda industry was trying to provide a healthy alternative to sugary soft drinks. Diet sodas, with their synthetic sugars, are not so healthy: the acidic content can harm the stomach lining as well as tooth enamel, and the sugars are actually sweeter than real sugar and trigger sugar cravings and hunger cravings that make it difficult for people to manage caloric intake overall. Somehow, we missed the thought that tap water and filtered water fountains might just provide what we need. 

I don't think we need to boo-hoo over the $15 billion the soda industry will lose over this. If I understand food and drink industry correctly, they will simply create another item, and try to convince us that we need it. 

EDD - is it real?

Check out this well-written account from a woman who claims to have EDD, Empathy Deficit Disorder:

http://www.cnn.cm/2008/living/personal/06/18/0.empathy/index.html

I don't believe this is an official DSM (diagnost statistical manual) IV-R, and even if it is, one should carefully consider what it means to look at wellness and states of being through a DSM lens. This is not to say that I disagree that this woman hasn't stumbled on a deep-seeded problem stemming from childhood and the failure of attunement and attachment in early childhood. I can say that putting a label on it and applying a code for the hope of creating a viable billing code for health insurance is questionable. Otherwise, I know a bunch of women who might like to say that their husbands need to see a therapist for EDD as well.

Of course, I'm sure insurance companies will know, most DSM disorders are being labeled on predominantly females, i.e. women are more likely to be diagnosed Borderline than men, especially if they come across as manipulative or angry. Maybe they'll have to come up with a diagnosis of EDD that is more male friendly.

U Wink -- tech restaurant in LA

A woman I know once talked about a measure of the health of her relationship to her man by the number of hours of what she called "screen time" he had per week (tv, games, computer work), and the hours of face-to-face time she had with him. 

The new restaurant, UWink in Los Angelos opened to mixed reviews, but everyone is gawking about the interactive elements and technology used, so that you can order your meals, pay, play games, and even interact with other people across the room via your computer screen. 

http://kotaku.com/gaming/top/first-or-close-to-it-uwink-restaurant-review-208033.php

My question: whatever happened to just getting up and walking over to someone? 

In Japan, it's almost an epidemic, this shyness factor that keeps young people from meeting eachother. But UWink is in America. America isn't the country that developed a small female robot marketed to lonely males of 20 and over. America is the place you should be able to walk into a bar and say a loud, "Hello everyone!" Only, at UWink, everyone's faces are looking at a screen. 

The developer of UWink is the creator of Atari. I can see the marketing potential, but I guess I must be getting old. The idea of making food "fun" seems to be locked in my brain somewhere between purple vegetables and Count Chocula -- both foods that I would personally avoid. In a country that already has issues with food, do we NEED to make food fun? How about just focusing on nutritious and good tasting, with a low negative impact on the environment?

Your thoughts?

Class schedule updates

Reminder:  no yoga classes at Dream Yoga and Dance on 

Saturday, June 21.

There is also no yoga class at T-mobile on Friday June 20. 

I will be attending a two-day conference on meditation, Buddhist psychology, and the brain for continuing education credits. 

See www.dreamyogaanddance.com for more information.

article on iShimmy

For a sample of my writing, please go to 

http://www.ishimmy.com/columns/reviews/workshop_review_hadia_in_Seattle_A_Modest_review/

Evaporating pantry

I'm halfway into week four of rehearsals for a local bellydance and bollywood dance company, and along with the change in my schedule to accommodate the busy schedules of 6-8 people three times a week, I've also noticed something else.

The food in the pantry and fridge is evaporating. 

It started after the first three-hour Sunday rehearsal, involving one hour of bellydance, one hour of dance conditioning using ballet, yoga, and dance conditioning stretches, and one hour of bollywood. For those of you who can't imagine what this is like on the body, remove any thoughts from your mind of the typical restaurant dancer, and replace it with some young, trim bodies darting with grace and strength across the floor, using precision and technique to get them from one spot to the next. It leaves even the most experienced dancer in our group breathless, after we drill choreography for more than 5 minutes. Bollywood is bellydance fused with hip hop (in terms of its isolated and sharp movements) and Indian Kathak dance. Not only does the dance tell a story with the hand movements, it tells the story FRENETICALLY. If you just breathe for a moment, you've missed a line. 

During that first rehearsal, all the ladies, one by one, kept running to our bags looking for snacks. I felt like a little animal. "Wait a minute, I never eat during dance practices." Uh, that's because my practices never ran this hard or this long. That animal-like food foraging behavior is being triggered by a reduction in glycogen stores, and my usual breakfasts consisting of a small piece of fruit, toast with butter, an egg, and a cup of decaf tea wasn't cutting it anymore. I was burning off that "snack" in 40-50 minutes, leaving me weak in the knees. Before one practice, I ate a banana and nearly fainted. Why? Because bananas are a high glycemic index food, and for the average hypoglycemic person like myself, I tend to shoot up blood-sugar wise fast, and then drop like a bowling bowl falling out of a window. 

To prepare for the dance practices occurring nearly everyday, I searched for articles on the subject of nutrition for dancers, and found  great one by SHAPE magazine, primarily focused on food as fuel versus food to reduce your weight, and including some vegetarian options for those who don't want to eat eggs, bacon, or sausage for breakfast (how about a  tofu scramble?). After loading the pantry with whole grain pasta and bread, and stocking the fridge with vegetables and my meat substitutes, I thought I was ready for the next set of rehearsals.

Though it seems intuitive, I wasn't prepared for how quickly the food seemed to evaporate from the pantry and fridge. Our house felt like we had two growing teenagers in it. Instead, there is a woman who dances more than 12 hours a week, and a man training for a marathon (and possibly a triathalon) who are fueling up in ways we didn't imagine three years ago. Our food bills have increased. We go through a carton of eggs and milk at an alarming rate. Friends brought cases of beer over for a garden party last weekend, and it's still sitting in the fridge untouched, because beer isn't on our food training list (OK, my man had four beers on Saturday, but if you read the article in Outside Magazine about a man's 12 week training course for a triathalon, you realize that everyone needs one break in their training to psychologically prevent burnout and discouragement -- my man's is beer, and I think mine is going to be escaping for Persian food with a new gal pal). 

Because we often buy food everyday, our lifestyle hasn't changed. It's just that we're having to buy so much more food, and bit by bit, I'm watching my dancer's body take a slightly different shape: stronger, leaner, more energy. It takes more time to prepare and eat food, but I also can see almost immediate benefit for having done so. 

For a fun article on teenagers and food, see http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/foodwine/2004469721_hungryteens10.html

Not very far

According to a recent controversial study, people don't move around very much in their daily lives.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004458530_track05.html

Tracking 100,000 cellphone users, the study found that most people spend the majority of their year traveling within a 20 mile radius, and that this pattern appears to persist even when those people traveled to a farther distance. 

As we think of our world's expansion because of film, planes, and the Internet, it's fascinating to consider that we may be no different than our ancestors, who were limited to horseback or foot. They didn't travel too far either, and when they got somewhere, they usually stayed put. 

On the good side of this, the more we push people to consider investing locally, the more we're going to see this pattern remain true for a larger population. On the not so good side, I'm sure some of us are wondering how ethical it is to be secretly "followed" through GPS tracking via your cell phone. And finally, it really does show you how people follow the cities where the jobs are. Places like downtown Bellevue are literally banking on this. For all the workers of Microsoft that will be transferred to downtown Bellevue, I believe some will be looking into housing options within 1 15-20 mile radius. 

More than a 25 cent increase

What do you think about fare increases on Metro transit, because of the recent increased usage due to rising gasoline prices? Metro also sees rises in biodiesel prices and the need to increase the number of buses in peak times to neighborhoods like Ballard and West Seattle (yeah!). 

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004456319.busfuel04m.html

Gas Prices and the Cost to the Environment

It felt like a discussion from Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemna."

The women of my dance troupe I'm in have been emailing back and forth, creating a schedule to accomodate practices and rehearsal times that not only met the minimum requirements, but were located close enough to alleviate the strain of long commute times and the price of gasoline. Our troupe members are spread across West Seattle, the Eastside, and Mountlake Terrace, so for non-locals, that's up to an hour one-way for some of the members. 

Nearly everyone had a concession to make, involving a practice that wasn't exactly close by. 

But a few of us got talking about the costs to the environment for the everyday choices that we are making, even the seemingly innocuous -- and brave! -- choice to be in a dance troupe. Few of us have the kind of jobs that would support buying a hybrid (or better yet, saving up for an electric car), less would be interested in risking life and limb to ride a motorcycle (and with our gear, not very feasible) or a Vectrix, and with how poorly our Metro transit system is, it would take some over 2 hours and up to four transfers to make a practice, and have no way to return home before midnight! We came up with the schedule and location that we could.

At the same time, we're all wondering what biodiesel made of corn is doing to our country, and to the world. We've all been made aware that there is a food shortage, and that America has traded much of its exporting of food into corn for biodiesel. I walked into Thriftway a few weeks ago, and read the sign in the Asian food section: 

LIMIT ONE BAG OF RICE PER CUSTOMER, PLEASE

I couldn't help thinking about people across the planet that aren't even getting that sign. There is no rice. 

While I appreciate that my husband (and co-founder of Dream Yoga and Dance Studio) rides his bike to work and commutes with the bus every day of the work week, my experience of riding my bike to work with him two weeks ago made me aware that our problems are still massive. Just through the industrial portion of south Seattle, I nearly had an asthma attack because of all the trucks delivering goods or passing through our city. The cost of not paying more at the pump can also mean an extra trip to the doctor's office. Don't ask me the color of the stuff I washed out of my nose with a Neti pot that evening. 

I wondered how many other costs we're paying that we don't know about. 

For now, we just make the choice to not drive much. And when we do, I notice I don't open the car windows anymore, because I can't really breathe the air. 

I can't wait until technology in bio fuels and electricity catch up with our desires. 

Gentle yoga's popularity

Check out this blog post about yoga for chronic pain:

A new study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, recommends regular, moderately intense exercise such as walking, strength training, and yoga to alleviate pain caused by fibromyalgia and arthritis. The study had 135 women exercisin three times a a week for four months, initially for 30 minutes and increasing to 60 minutes. Pain was reduced by 45 percent after 16 weeks. (posted to Yoga Buzz blog by Jeanne Ricci). 

Just this week, I've had a few people inquire about my Saturday morning yoga class, and if it was truly gentle. Yes, folks, this is GENTLE Kripalu Yoga, which has more movement than a restorative yoga class, but includes elements you find in restorative yoga (props like blocks, blankets, and straps). We move slowly, we pace our breaths, we don't force anything to happen, and we take a proper shavasana at the end of class (rest pose). 

It seems to me that many people know how to exercise in an aerobic, moderate to vigorous way, and there are plenty of sports and activities that can help you make that happen. What I don't find too often are truly gentle yoga classes that take the time to slow things down, work with your challenges and "ouchies" (low back pain, hunched shoulders, sore necks, aching joints).  I've made a commitment to keep Saturday morning class truly Gentle, with the option for some individuals to add more challenge either at home or for brief moments during class. 

For more information about Gentle Kripalu Yoga, go to Amazon.com and look up the DVD "Gentle Kripalu Yoga". Separated into two 20 minute sequences that can be done alone or in combination (skipping the shavasana until the end), this DVD gives you an excellent example of practice that you can repeat at home to help stretch, destress, cleanse the organs, and renew your energy level.

Are cell phones harmful to your health?

Larry King Live is airing a segment on the death of an attorney who had a brain tumor some say is highly correlated to cell phone use. The show will air Tuesday night at 9pm. 

The controversy is so strong around this issue, some countries have laws in place that are stricter than the U.S. in terms of where cell phone towers can be placed. Case in point: Israel.

Do you think cell phones can cause brain tumors and other cancers because of their proximity to the body? Would cell phone use, then, be harmful to a pregnant woman and her unborn child if she was using a cell phone with a hands-free set, but the cell phone itself was always in a holster at her hip or in her coat pocket? Is it the transmission from the RF waves, or something else?

Throat Chakra

For those of you who are following my teaching series on the Chakra's, this week's focus is

The Fifth Chakra:   Throat Chakra

In this chakra, an open throat chakra sounds like talking, speaking what is true, manifesting, rituals, prophesy, and expression of emotions. It could also take on something like writing poems. If you like poetry, try out translated poems of Rumi or Hafiz.  You'll find their poetry deep, beautiful, simple, and sometimes downright humorous!

Laughter and singing are great ways to open the throat.

Yoga pose: Try Matsyandrasana (aka Fish Pose)

http://www.yogajournal.com/posese/786  Just make sure to not crunch your neck, and if you need to, start with the chin tucked towards the chest, lowering the head slowly. Remember, your head weighs a lot in contrast to the "string of pearls" representing your spine. Dangling 14 - 18 pounds off that string should be done gently and carefully. At home, you can try using a soft folded blanket for support under the neck, so you can stay in a more supported, or restorative, fish pose. 

Memorial Day Schedule for Yoga

KRIPALU GENTLE TO MODERATE YOGA AT T-MOBILE

12 noon every Friday in the Newport Fitness Center

All levels of flexibility

$15 drop in fee, $10 your first visit

Bring a mat and water bottle

YES, THERE IS A CLASS ON MAY 23RD!

There will be NO YOGA CLASS this Saturday May 24th

at Dream Yoga and Dance in West Seattle

Enjoy the Memorial Day Weekend!

Eating Disorder Symposium

Last week, some of the world's best clinicians and educators gathered in Seattle to present the latest research and treatment modalities for Eating Disorders. Though the actual numbers of people who have a clinical eating disorder remains small next to the numbers of people who report dissatisfaction with their bodies, by itself, I am shocked by how many girls and women (and some men) are still suffering from this physical and psychological disorder in Westernized countries, and how many more receive inadequate treatment.

I think we can blame the media only so much; certainly, images of young women with thighs only as big as the largest part of their calves are glamorized in the pages of magazines and on film, and it does not help the case of the young and impressionable mind trying to figure out how she is to feel about gaining 40 pounds in 3 years time in order to put enough healthy fat on her bones to begin menses (between 11 and 14 years old). 

Buddhist psychology reminds us that every action and thought of each individual is connected to all others. That means that my repulsion to, say, Cheeze-Whiz, actually has an effect on someone else as I message out to him or her about my pickiness concerning over-processed foods. I'm not saying you or I cannot have an opinion, but I've been noticing how my own beliefs can have a negative effect on others, especially those who are formulating their values about food and their bodies. Still, I struggle. Cheez- Whiz... isn't it that stuff bachelors like to spray directly from can to mouth? Uggh. And then, I catch myself thinking these things, and realize that food is food, neither good nor bad, right nor wrong. It's just that some of us are in need of thinking differently about our relationship with food. So, I guess I'm slowly moving towards, "Cheeze-Whiz? Ok! Let's eat that Cheeze Whiz mindfully."

As I continue my 6 week series Yoga for Weight Loss, I am keenly aware that the goal is not simply one of science: exercise + less caloric intake than you burn = weight loss. It is about changing the way you think, interact, and treat your body and mind, supporting the body to do what it was meant to do. We'll be practicing Ahimsa, the yoga principle of non-violence and non-harming to self and others, as a means of stopping self-hatred and promoting compassionate action and thought. We'll be learning that the life of true fullness is found not with restriction as much as liberation and freedom. 

To all those who struggle with eating disorders and eating issues, know that there are thousands of us in the helping professions that take these things seriously. We hope your journey towards recovery is steady and full of support. 

Friday May 16 is Bike to Work Day!

OK, so many of you know (or now know!) that part of the secret to my sanity is that I traded in a 1hr 15 minute commute to Everett in for a 0.03 commute to my downstairs. Yes, I work from home. My main studio is Dream Yoga and Dance, and trot out to the studio or work from my basement lounge about 3-4 days a week.

But because this is the 21st century, yoga instructors and dance instructors often have to commute to where the students are, and in my case, I have between 5 - 8 people who take a noon-time yoga class at T-mobile in the fitness center.

So here's my chance, and here's yours. Friday May 16 is "Bike to Work Day", part of a bike to work month initiated by many companies and our Mayor Nickels to encourage people to commute on bicycles to work. Though we will withhold judgement about whether we think Mayor Nickels needs to get on that bicycle a little more himself (!!!), the idea is great. There will be over 35 stations set up with snacks, resting spots, and I believe the Seattle police will be assisting the expected 20,000 riders that will turn out at the Town Center around 7:30 am.

I will be biking early with my man to T-mobile, and though I don't get a "Bike to Work" t-shirt (I'm not an official employee), I feel like I'm leading by example. Over the past two months, I've been in rehab physical therapy two times a week for a hyper mobile hip joint and associated gluteal muscle, but I got the official Okey Dokey from my PT to go ahead and do this, being sure to ice it and take it easy over the weekend.

Our ride begins in West Seattle, goes under the bridge and into Downtown and the International District. We come up to the entrance for bikes going across the I-90, and then we'll bike across the I-90 into Factoria. I'll have some time to hang out, and then teach my yoga class a few hours later.

After that, I'll bike ride up a hill into the Eastgate area to take a bellydance session with renowned bellydance and bollywood dancer and director, Nalini. After that session, I'll bike ride back down the hill to T-mobile, hang out for a bit, pick up the man from work, and we'll either bike back or ride the bus part ways, depending on how the hip is chattering.

I can't think of a better way to spend what is supposed to be a stellar day of Spring (minus sucking up the fumes of all the drivers who should be riding their bikes). Come join us, and take a little time to figure out your bike riding commute to work. The Seattle times has a big article that may be of help: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/flatpages/local/commuterbikeroutestotry.html

Commute, and feel good about reducing CO2 emissions while burning off some calories!

Next up: a report from the Eating Disorders symposium being held in Seattle May 14 - 16, and how we can keep our young people from developing this deadly mental and physical illness.

Support your LOCAL yoga class

Looking for a yoga class among the 1000+ offered across Seattle could make it more difficult to choose one. In a climate of choices, it's actually harder to shop when there are a plethora of "product" and differing pricing. Sometimes, we can even suffer from paralysis when we think we might be choosing something less valuable, only because we don't know ALL the available choices.

To narrow down your choices, think LOCAL first. 

Can you walk to the studio from your home or work?

Can you take a quick bike ride to the studio?

Is it located on a convenient bus route?

For example, I spoke to YogaLife studio owner Michael. He even prefers to host instructors who either live in the neighborhood of Queen Ann or Greenlake, or the instructor should teach more than one class back - t0 - back when commuting. 

By attending a studio near you, you reinforce your own attendance, build community, and support a local business and the presence of a peaceful entity. Oftentimes, yoga studios promote educational or charitable causes, recommend sustainability, and reinforce many of the habits we're trying to incorporate into our lives. 

Nothing is more local, however, than bringing yoga or dance to your workplace. If your workplace has an unused meeting room during the midday hour, you can hire an instructor to teach a one-hour format class for a flat rate or per-person fee. Like myself, these teachers can bring some props, help students get reasonably-priced mats they can keep at their desk, and keep the practice gentle so there isn't a lot of sweating involved. 

Support your local teachers and studios today!

Seattle P-I article on Yoga

I bet you knew there were a lot of yoga classes being offered in Seattle, but a P-I columnist reported that there are no less than 984 yoga classes offered across our city.

Yesterday, there was an article about the health benefits of yoga. 

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/362524_condor12.html

It is clear to me that yoga is considered mainstream practice, and no longer lives on the fringe with hippes, gypsies, and practitioners of TM. 

Yet, people still tell me:

1) I can't find a class near by me that works with my schedule

and

2) I can't find the time, with work and family

For those of you interested, there are alternatives. MiNeeds.com, a program launched by Microsoft, allows you to request a service, set a budget, and have people bid on that service. You can check their profiles, see what they provide, and reject or accept any bid. Want yardwork? Massage therapy? Private yoga in your home or in a studio? Have them come to you? Need to barter for something? 

Who knows? Maybe I'll be knocking on your door.

What do you think of MiNeeds.com? Check it out, and tell us about it.

Yoga for Running poses

For those of you who requested the names of three of the poses featured in June's "Yoga Journal" on yoga for running, there isn't a direct link to the article, but there are the names of the poses, and you can likely Google all of them and get a picture:

Anjaneyasana (Low Lunge) -- it's a runner's lunge, but done much lower

Ardha Chandrasana (with foot against the wall) -- Half moon pose, but with a variation

Janu Sirsasana (Head of the Knee Pose)

The article was written by Sage Rountree, who has written a book, "The Athlete's Guide to Yoga", as well as run her first marathon in 2002. She uses yoga to help her be in comfort and discomfort as well as to keep herself steady. 

If you are interested in purchasing ONE book on yoga asana (posture), the "Bible" on postures is often considered to be Iyengar's massive text from the 1970's. However, if you would like to get a simple guide on Kripalu Yoga practice, purchase "Kripalu Yoga" by Richard Faulds and the staff at the Kripalu Center, which has simple descriptions and black and white picture of the core postures for warm up, standing, seated, inversions, and twists, as well as an overview of the system of yoga (the eight limbed path). 

Yoga Classes for Late Spring!

YOGA CLASSES FOR LATE SPRING! 

Starts May 2, 2008

Gentle Kripalu Yoga

Saturdays at 9:00 am - 10:30 am

Dream Yoga and Dance in West Seattle

Starts May 7

Yoga for Weight Loss: 6 week module

Wednesdays 6:30 pm - 8 pm

Dream Yoga and Dance in West Seattle

$80

Belly Yoga Flow

2nd Wednesday of every month, 6:30 - 8 pm

Dream Yoga and Dance in West Seattle

$15 drop in, or included in a pre-pay 6 week module program

Starts May 5

Bellydance Blast (Bellydance Fitness)

Tuesdays 7:30 - 8:25 pm

Community Fitness in Ravenna

$5.95+ tax per class, $10 one time set up fee

Ongoing since September 2007

Gentle/Moderate Kripalu Yoga at T-mobile

open to T-mobile employees only

Fridays 12 - 1:15pm

Newport Fitness Center at T-mobile

For more information, see www.dreamyogaanddance.com

Dog Yoga

About a year ago, I started reading articles and hearing stories about Dog Yoga. Instead of putting yourself in a Downward Facing Dog position, about one-half of the class time was focusing on "dong" yoga to Fido. The Seattle Animal Shelter on 15th Avenue West had a Dog Yoga demonstration, and pictures of dogs with their ears being smoothed surfaced on the Internet the next day.

Did you know that Seattle has more registered dogs than children? Do you get irritated that some places, such as the Farmer's Market, posts signs that say, "Dogs Not Allowed"? Is it truly a dog's world? 

Should dog owners be allowed to bring "man's best friend" to their local yoga studio? Or do you think studios should accomodate pet owners by hosting once-a-month Dog yoga or cat yoga days?

Finally, I'll share a quote I saw on a bookmark years ago: 

"Outside of a dog, books are man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."

Name -your-price costume source on Ebay

One more way to spend your Economic Stimulus $$'s...

Go onto Ebay, and type in miraclemims

This Ebay seller is doing a clearance of all her bellydance costume pieces. Though not all of them are high performance quality, many of the pieces can be used within other costume ideas, OR they can be used for practice sessions so you can see how your movements "show up" in an accentuated costume. If you are into dance performance, this is absolutely essential for you to see how movement will actually look with a costume on. If you don't think this is important, take a look at documentaries on the making of shows like Cirque du Soleil.


Many of you have asked, "Where do you get __________?" Here is a list of the places I haunt for reasonably priced new and used items for dance:

Centerstage (51st and University Way in the U District). Dance shoes, exercise clothes, and some bellydance items are available; also a great source for zills (finger cymbals).
Bhuz.com (place a free "ad" with your measurements, and people will start sending you pictures of costumes offline)
Experience shoes: great shoes and some flashy costume ideas for salsa, tango, and general ballroom, some of which works well for bellydance. Located on Alaskan Way near Pike Place Market (look for the big Doc Marten's sign)

Coming soon: Mediterranean Fantasy Festival July 18-20. Vendors bring their wares, you bring your wallet! I've bought some of my best hip scarves and veils from these festivals.

Do you have a favorite place you go for dance costuming pieces? Please leave a comment with a link your site.

The Wireless Yogini: Shocking but true... vote with your feet

The Wireless Yogini: Shocking but true... vote with your feet

The Wireless Yogini: Shocking but true... vote with your feet

The Wireless Yogini: Shocking but true... vote with your feet

Shocking but true... vote with your feet

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/3346/food-facts-that-restaurants-hide-from-you/

In Men's Health, an article talks about informing the public about calorie counts in some of America's most notorious chain restaurants that have high calorie counts on their single-person entrees. Most of us should know that the numbers will be high on a plate of nachos, but what if you knew exactly how much? Would you make a different decision if you had the calorie information available? 

Food is not bad, people. There is no good food or bad food, in my opinion. What we do with it, how we use or abuse it, and why we eat when we're not hungry are more important issues than blacklisting particular foods. 

Economic Stimulus $$ -- how will you spend it

Yesterday, I chatted with several people about the Economic Stimulus tax refund that many of us have already received by May 2, 2008. If you haven't, you are supposed to contact the IRS with a form you receive in the mail in order to claim your $600 (or$1200 per household). 

Our president who signed the bill giving us this money wants us to spend this money on goods: that is why the bill is called Economic Stimulus. We're supposed to help stimulate the economy with these dollars by purchasing American goods. 

But hey, we live on the edge (literally) in Washington. You give us money, and many of us green-living, veggie-eating, un-consumers are going to do something that the bill didn't intend: save it, buy recycled or second-hand stuff, or at least keep it out of the hands of stores like Wal-Mart.

How are you going to use your E.S. dollars? Haven't a clue? Here are some ideas:

1) Use some of it on a 10% off shopping trip of your choice at PCC when you join. Purchase goods that last, such as frozen local fruit, soy nut butter,  vegetable soup stock, organic frozen meals (check the calorie counts, people). PCC is recognized in the Puget Sound commmunity card, offered at many Washington stores.

2) Participate in your neighborhood garage sale. West Seattle's garage sale includes over 100 households on May 10, 2008. Keep the love going around your local neighborhood. When you get rid of stuff that someone else can use, your home has less clutter, you have a little more pocket money, and you resist general consumerism. 

3) Of course, it's always financially sound to pay down debt, called "DOLP"ing (date of last payment). If you have high credit card balances, you should try to consolidate your debt to a single payment on a fixed-interest line of credit, and DOLP that puppy. If you are simply paying the monthly minimum balance, you may end up paying that debt twice over because of the compounding interest. 

4) Invest in your health. Place more money in an FSA (flexible spending account) if your company provides this; it's tax free dollars. Purchase a health club membership of 1-2 years at a time, and receive 3-4 months of membership free. Still too expensive? Try www.communityfitness.com, where all classes are $5.95+ tax, and there are no membership fees (just a one-time, $10 set up fee).

Of course, you can always invest in your local small dance and yoga studios, such as Dream Yoga and Dance. Pre-pay a series of 6 yoga sessions, or load up on bellydance fitness classes, and get moving! I offer a discount if your doctor tells you to lose weight, AND you are enrolled in an approve nutritional program. 

Want low cost acupuncture? Try Community Acupuncture, located in El Centro de la Raza in Beacon Hill, 3rd floor. Your visit may be as little as $35. 

5) Take in beauty and art. Cirque du Soleil's "Cordeo" show runs until June 1st, 2008. It's spendy, but breath-taking. 

Don't want to spend that much? There's a real treat this weekend, hosted by dancer/performer/ethnographers Tamalyn Dallal and Helene Ericksen at Skin Deep Studio (Beacon Hill), focusing on Uyghur culture and dance, who are the people from NW China, little known for the struggle for independence from Mainland China. Adalat of Vancouver is an accomplished Uyghur dancer who will be dancing at this show and education presentation this Saturday, May 10 from 6-9 pm. Suggested donation: $10. Additional donation opportunities available to various associated charities. 

Tamalyn will be promoting her work, "40 days and 1001 nights", a book and film project highlighting her travels to interesting countries as she teaches dance and interacts with locals about the histories of their dances, cultures, and political situations. 

Got other suggestions? Send them in and let others see your bright ideas on how you'll spend or save your E.S money this year.

West Seattle's Sustainability Fair -- everything green?

Sunday May 4th, West Seattle had a Sustainability Fair in the Alaska Junction, right across from the Farmer's Market held in the bank parking lot. 

http://www.westseattleherald.com/articles/2008/05/04/news/local_news/news01.text

The booths were "right on" with their campaigns, such as getting an "undriver's license" if you commit to driving less, growing a sustainable garden, or learning how to fix your bike and use it to commute. I was a little miffed that most of the booths were still handing out flyers, brochures, and chunky booklets -- can't we get on an email list and reduce the amount of paper that we use to advertise our businesses and causes? Maybe a booth about going paperless would be helpful next year...

We bought some organic tomatoes from the farmer's market, and planted them in our backygard garden, yummy. In exchange for use of our wireless network, our neighbor is mixing some compost and potting soil for our garden. And another neighbor, who volunteered to mow al the public stripes of grass around the block with his electric mower, let us borrow that mower while on break, so we could give our lawn a better haircut than the push-mower haircut, which tends to leave the edges a bit on the shabby side. 

But when is it enough? I found myself becoming a little miffed when the peeps at the Undriver's License booth didn't think my sacrifices were enough. In 2007, I moved my office from Everett to West Seattle, to end my "commute and pollute" days. I take the bus into town, and drive less than 2 times a week outside a 15 mile radius. I often walk to the store to shop for groceries, and combine errands to reduce my driving time. It felt like nothing short of getting rid of your car was going to be enough. 

The point being: maybe we don't know what enough is, and all of us must do what we can to reduce emissions because of all the damage we've already done. Instead of getting defensive, I can carefully see what more I can responsibly change. 

Do you worry about not doing enough to turn the tide in our fight to save the planet? With the threatened extinction of polar bears drowning because of the lack of available ice (due to global warming), do you fret over everything from biodiesel and world hunger to diminishing bus schedules?  And how do you feel when you see someone zip by in a Hummer limosine, in preparation for a wedding or a prom night?

Where's the Food?

My husband forwarded this article to me, which basically underlines the findings of my first graduate degree program regarding cities and basic living conditions: the less wealthy an area of town is, the fewer grocery stores there are. 

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/361235_foodvoid01.html

My study, conducted in LA, showed worse findings. There were actually small grocery stores peppered throughout some of the poorest neighborhoods of L.A., but I found the produce to often be nearly inedible. I volunteered to put together more than 100 boxes of food, medicine, and basic hygiene packages and deliver them to needy families. Some of the produce we bagged were wilted green vegetables, slightly moldy oranges, and spoiling strawberries, all donations from "local" stores. We went door to door, delivering these care packages to places that didn't even look like homes: a cardboard "door" over an opening in an abandoned building, for example. I felt a mixture of shame and distress. What is someone ate this food and became sick? The coordinator of the program laughed at my concern. He said that many of the people receiving the food had not had vegetables in many days, and would gladly eat it, after cooking everything thoroughly. Still, my mind was seared with the vision of sickly near-homeless people eating what I would easily throw to the trash. 

This article talks about West Seattle, but not the area where I live. My area is inundated with grocery stores: within walking distance, I have a Safeway, a PCC, and a short bike ride away is Metropolitan Market. In a year, I'll also have a QFC and Whole Foods within a five minute walk from my doorstep. Not true for the residents of South West Seattle, where there is no market for miles. 

One little gem is Tony's market on 35th and Barton. Tony's doesn't advertise. They don't have a webpage. But they have produce consisting of locally grown and regionally grown produce, and some organic produce as well. Their prices are reasonable, and their produce is fresh. My husband and I buy from there every two weeks, since the Alaska Junction farmer's market does not have much produce to offer, only flowers. 

Does your neighborhood have a gem like Tony's? If so, tell us about it, and tell everyone where it is. Help support your local markets, and guide others who are pinched in the recession towards healthy but reasonably-priced food.

The Wireless Yogini: The Wireless Yogini: Tech Stuff: My Motorcycle Fantasy....revealed

The Wireless Yogini: The Wireless Yogini: Tech Stuff: My Motorcycle Fantasy....revealed

The Wireless Yogini: Tech Stuff: My Motorcycle Fantasy....revealed

The Wireless Yogini: Tech Stuff: My Motorcycle Fantasy....revealed

Tech Stuff: My Motorcycle Fantasy....revealed

In case you were wondering if all I'm ever going to write about involves yoga and bellydance, here's the cool stuff for you tech lovers.

An American yogini was the first person in our country to buy the new Vectrix electric motorcycle. In an article published in May 2008 Yoga Journal magazine, this yogini wanted to show her concern for the environment while needing a reliable vehicle to commute to Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, located near Lennox, MA. It hits speeds high enough to enter the freeway, and you can charge it over night. Hailed for low maintenance, speed, and style, this truly green machine has caught my eye. 

For more information on this completely electric, low maintenance motorcycle that has me drooling and wishing to exchange my BMW F650 for one of these, check out this link:

http://vectrix.com/corporate/US/news.php

Today being May 1st, I took my motorcycle out for its first official Spring 2008 ride. For reasons too long to list here, I hadn't taken the bike out for some time. You know it has been too long when you're unsure you know how to ride anymore. But every time I get on my bike -- unless there is a downpour like the kind you have in Taiwan during a monsoon -- it's like falling in love. The sun is shining, I can feel the wind on my body, and hear my hair fluttering behind me. All the riders are giving each other the thumbs up sign, and I feel like I'm part of the world again instead of working out of my home. Today's ride stayed local -- I didn't feel like burning up a lot of gas to go up to Edmonds on the waterfront. So it was Alki Beach, watching people walk their dogs, and a young couple get ready in gown and tux for their big wedding day. I meditated for 10 minutes on a park bench by the water, and watched a huge military ship go by. I thought to myself, "This is why I have a motorcycle. I'm never going to sell it. I'm only going to upgrade."

Again, it had been far too long since I had taken my bike out for a joy ride. As I approached my bike to ride home, I noticed a couple of people looking at my bike as they walked by. Maybe they were checking out a couple of my bike's war wounds:  a broken tail light wrapped in a little electric tape. Or maybe they were looking at the little bell tied onto the back, for good luck. To my embarassment, it was neither. I had left my motorcycle key in the lock located near the rear of the bike, used to pop up the seat to put an item or two inside.  In the space of 15 minutes, anyone who knew what they were doing could have rode off with my bike. 

But this is West Seattle, it's sunny, everyone is still walking their dogs, and the theft that could have happened didn't. It's the way things should be. Like the movie, "Grand Canyon", one of the characters explains it: he should be able to help this man, and the thugs should drive away and leave him alone. 

Maybe all of this is some indication that I'm ready to move up to a Vectrix, and let someone else enjoy the bike that ushered me into so much freedom back in 2001, along with yoga and bellydance. Good things come in threes. 

When People Say "I'm not very good at yoga"

Continuing on with stories about yoga classes, funny (ha ha) and funny (not so ha ha), my husband and I have a shared story about a recent yoga class we took together in San Francisco. But before I tell you about it, let me first address the comment I get from people all the time, "I've tried yoga, but I'm not very good at it." I hear that comment with the ears of my wise teachers, who tell me over and over again that all of us already know what yoga is -- we've simply just forgotten what we once knew as a child. Yoga asana (postures) is only one of the eight limbed path, and though you might not know all the sanskrit names for them, many of the principles are universal, such as the practice of ahimsa, or non-violence. Many people would be surprised at how much yoga -- or union of the mind and body -- they already practice in the pursuit of meaningful everyday life and relationship. 

With that in mind, my husband and I dropped into a morning class in a swanky, moderate- sized yoga studio near the business district of SF. It's beautiful dark wood floors, dozens of spaces for shoes and personal belongings, and retail space for yoga products and clothing just shouted, "We're here. We're yoga in the 21st century. " Classes switched quickly, people dashing out of class to make room for those flooding in. Quietly taking our places, the space filled with mostly women who meant business: lotus position, warming up, tight-fitting yogatards meant for inversions. 

In walks the yoga instructor: a  tall, trim, 20+ man with blond hair and a strong presence. My instincts said, "He's ex Bikram for sure." Right when I'm thinking this, he starts warming up by doing hand stands and walking upside down. Show off. (Yes, I really did think this thought, but hey, I'm practicing "letting it be" by not cutting off thoughts, but allowing them to surface and be observed... show off). As we start following his instruction, we begin coming into Triangle Pose (Trikanasana), and he takes one look at all of us before shouting, "Wrong wrong wrong! Everyone, just come out of it and start over." I am now officially IRRITATED. My husband is snickering next to me. My mind is chattering, "Over-inflated ego, uncaring, humiliating, Iyengar or Bikram asana Nazi." Blah blah blah, my mind keeps saying. So much for chaining down the wild monkey mind that is supposed to help me focus. I am not feeling "here", nor "21st century", but in some kind of yoga gulag. 

Somewhere in the midst of the practice, I let these thoughts go. I see that some people are getting something out of the time, especially the particularly flexible Asian girl who has managed to grab hold of  her foot while reaching overhead and behind herself into a barely-held Pigeon Pose (Kapotasana).  She achieved it because he pushed her, and now she's straining to hold it. I am worried that she's going to tear something, and apparently she is too, because she asks the teacher how she can hold this posture more comfortably. He doesn't answer her question to her satisfaction, so I whisper, "Use a strap, and work your hands down slowly while breathing." Maybe some people need the verbal challenge to help make steps forward. I make a commitment to stop judging him. Or at least, to stop judging him after I stop laughing.

My husband found this teacher's style amusing and motivating; I found him more discouraging and irritating. There are many styles for many different kinds of people. We talked about this teacher for the next hour or two. I recognized that maybe -- just maybe, it's more important to be remembered for how a teacher makes you feel than for the yoga asana practice itself. 

So back to my original post: finding a practice. Find one that makes you feel loved. As dumb or as simple as that sounds, this is the practice that will have you coming back, week after week, day after day. It's the one that helps you feel loved from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. Some of that love is going to be transmitted from a caring, authentic, and transparent instructor. He or she can walk into the room on his hands or his feet, but as long as he connects with you and your humanity, he's going to put you into a practice that makes you feel wonderful in your body. 

The right practice for you isn't the one where you have to be "good" at it to take part in it. It's the one where the teacher helps you discover that you are already good, and things are coming together as you gather more body knowledge of the practice. 

I am aware that this kind of language flies in the face of conservative mainstream religion, which teaches that we are born with a sinful nature. For a moment, I ask my readers who come from that direction to withhold judgment and consider that much of our daily experience can be saturated with feelings of inadequacy and guilt. To encounter ONE thing that you do, where it is understood from the get-go, "You are already good at this" is refreshing and revolutionary. 

If yoga can be that one thing, we can let go of the thought, "I'm not very good at yoga", and just enjoy the ride. Even if the ride includes a Triangle Pose with a slightly bent front knee, a not-very-rolled back hip, and an untucked pelvic bowl.

My First Yoga Class: a tale of sight, sound, and smell?

In my first blog post, I mentioned that I would share with you all some funny "yoga blunders". And when I wrote that thought, I didn't even know what I wanted to share. Most of my stories are just painfully embarrassing, like on the level of walking into a board room with nothing on but a pair of bowling shoes. But since I asked you to talk about your first yoga class, I'll tell you about mine, and maybe you'll be consoled that yours was either not as bad, or far worse. You'll have a lovely point of comparison for your noodle to contemplate.

In the fall of 2000, I found myself living in a new neighborhood, with a tight budget, a smaller room to live in, and a body that was needing something gentle to help deal with stress. Having been taught from an early age that you only have one body and you only have your health to help you move forward through adversity, I plunked down a large chunk of change on a fitness membership at Sound Mind and Body Gym in Fremont, and because that was all I could afford, I took all the included classes that I could at that location, including a yoga class. 

Curious about yoga for sometime but clearly uninitiated, I signed up for an early Saturday morning class. Images of relaxation, watching the boats float through the channel, and connecting with new people baited me into this weekend class instead of sleeping in or grabbing a croissant at a local bakery. I made it a point to wear my best fitness clothes, shower, and arrive a little early so I could figure out what all those props were for: straps, blocks, mat, rollers, bolsters, etc.  I didn't want to look badly next to some mid-life ladies that I thought were sure to be in this class. 

I had forgotten that yoga wasn't just for the ladies. Sure enough, about a quarter of that morning's class were men! No problem, I thought. We're not going to sweat much, everyone has their own mat, this is going to be easy cheesy peasy. 

Wrong again. Half way through the class, the female instructor asks us to pair up with someone we don't know, and assist each other in a supported Downward Facing Dog (Ardha Mukhta Svanasana). A rather friendly middle aged man points at me, indicating that we should partner up. My smile is saying, "Sure!" but my brain is saying, "Wait! Isn't that the pose where your butt is in the air? And the teacher wants me to put my hands where?" Down my partner goes, down down down into Downward Facing Dog, and up up up goes his bottom, up into the air where I realize that there is a particular smell emitting from this friendly man. It is not so much the smell of underarm odor, but more like the smell of someone who has been freshly loved. Being that I was going through a time of not being freshly loved by anyone, I was assaulted not only with this scent, but also the reminder of my aloneness. And of course, I had to put my hands on his hips and pull backwards, to assist him to sit his weight further into his heels, which forced me to place the front of my body nearer to that rear end in the air. 

After what seemed like an eternity, the instructor asked us to switch roles. I tried using the "I'm a beginner, I don't know what to do" excuse, but he wouldn't have it, and the next thing I know, I'm pressing my own bottom up up up into the air, and a pair of warm hands are pulling back on my hips to help me sit back into my heels. Suddenly I realized that the soreness in my upper body, particularly between my shoulder blades, stopped throbbing. I let go of the stiffness of being touched by a stranger, and surrendered into his counterbalance because he had demonstrated that he could be trusted (even though his scent of being freshly loved was still lingering).  I let go of my self-consciousness, especially that part about appearances (it was trying to tell me that the tag from my underwear was probably slipping out the top of my exercise pants, but I told that voice to please shut up for a moment). And I looked around the world in my first inversion, and watched the largest cruise ship slip by the window, so close to the edges that I thought that parts of the ship would shatter it. 

In that moment, I experienced the asana of yoga as that of being freshly loved.

Yoga Begets More Yoga - finding a yoga practice

Soleil of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy addressed a room of fresh-faced yoga instructors at Maya Studio in Fremont yesterday for the first "Meet Play Learn" workshop. One thing I learned from participating in this newly formed group is that Seattle has a lot of studios and there is a lot of yoga happening, but we are nowhere near saturated. There are so many stories of people looking to try yoga in their neighborhood, and walking by a studio without even realizing it's there, and maybe has been there, for three years. 

I think part of the problem in finding a yoga practice is that we are on information overload and compressed time management. Just shout, "Yoga!" and someone will throw a sticky mat at you. It's become such a huge industry in the past five years that companies like Wal Mart and Target have profited off of a "yoga-in-a-box" mentality. On the one hand, there is something good about that: making yoga accessible to the average wage earner. On the other hand, there is nothing like having an instructor open this world of yoga up to you, and a DVD can only take you so far.  When we walk down the street, we're no longer really paying attention to the signs and sandwich boards. We're on our cell phones, listening to our iPods, or running errands on our lunch breaks.  We simply do not see what is there, and as instructors and studio owners, we're not always doing the best job of letting you know we're here.

These are some of the reasons I started thinking about yoga practice "outside the box". Instead of the big studio, I market yoga to the small group  and the corporate setting. Instead of big dance classes and bigger dance studio rental fees that get passed onto the student, I  focus on private and semi-private lessons, and teach bellydance fitness in bigger studios that did not pass the cost of studio rental onto the instructor.  In essence, we bring yoga and dance down to earth, make it more available, accessible, and affordable. 

One of the arms of availability is through the Internet and the blog world. After at least a half dozen friends encouraging me to blog, I came up with "The Wired Yogini" to create a community of openness, inquiry, and learning. I hope you'll bookmark this space and come back for a visit. Say hello and feel free to post questions as my readership builds. 

Please feel free to share websites and resource pages that you feel this community would like to know about. For the local Seattle community, check out this little gem:

www.communityfitness.com 

This fairly new movement studio provides affordable meditation, dance classes, Nia, Pilates, yoga, and bellyance fitness in a 50-minute format (versus the usual 1.5 hr format of many movement classes). Each class is $6.50 (tax included), with a $10 set up fee and NO MEMBERSHIP DUES. 

Finally, I have a question for all visitors. What components make the perfect yoga practice for you? If you have never been in a yoga class, what elements would make you more likely to visit a class? 

Next, I'll share with you some of my "yoga blunders", a verbal account of bloopers and fun stuff to make you laugh.